Running head: New Saudi Woman 1

The New Saudi Woman: English, Education and Cultural Identity

A Pilot Study

Reema A. Alsweel

George Mason University

New Saudi Woman 2

Abstract

The role of the female in the Saudi Arabian society is in constant change brought upon by the

influx of globalization, technology and modernization. In this paper my aim is to try and

understand this change currently taking place by looking at the role of the Saudi female, her

education and participation in the work field, and the role the English language plays in all of

this. I also attempt to look at the aspect of technology and how that might influence her

movement. This paper represents the findings of a mixed methods pilot study conducted at an

English language program in Virginia in the spring of 2010. The findings indicate that English,

and technology to some degree, play a vital role in the Saudi women’s movement.

New Saudi Woman 3

The New Saudi Woman: English, Education and Cultural Identity

A Pilot Study

Change in Saudi Arabia is glacial: it may not be easy to see but it does exist. (Peterson,

2002)

A relatively young nation, Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by King Abdulaziz Al-

Saud and quickly morphed form an empty desert inhabited by Bedouins, to a modern united

society. With the oil wealth and influx of technology change is taking place, which can be seen

in its modern city-scapes, acceptance of western technologies and improvement in education.

However, its cultural and traditional roots surpasses hundreds of years and are so deeply rooted

that they are not easily explained by its people. This is particularly evident in the life of its

female citizens who still cannot vote nor drive; do not have the same privileges as their male

counterparts when it comes to educational choices and work, and who were only recently issues

personal ID cards (2000).

In Saudi Arabia, women portray certain roles prescribe to them by society. These roles

are not necessarily religious, even though there is no separation between the state and Islam.

“Although interpretations of ‘correct’ Islamic behavior influence all sections of society, local

customs, norms and tribal traditions actually dictate women’s roles and are enforced through

familial structures” (Yamani, 2000, p. 96). With the introduction of English through education

and technology, women in Saudi Arabia are finding new ways to portray acceptable roles. As

Mezirow (1991) theorized “an individual’s belief system may change as a result of exposure to

knowledge that challenges previously learned thoughts, or as a result of the individual’s efforts

to comprehend another culture that differs from or contradicts his/her own, which may have been

previously perceived as perfect” (discussed in Al-Salem, 2005, p. 4).

New Saudi Woman 4

Statement of Problem

Although there is an abundant amount of work on Arab/ Middle Eastern women, there

remains a gap in literature on the Saudi female. It seems that through my search I was able to

find a few studies on Saudi females conducted by non-Saudi and thus, I believe, they do not truly

echo their voices. There is a contrast between the abundant studies on Arab women in Palestine,

Egypt, even the UAE in comparison to the studies on the Saudi female.

However, I must state that there is an interest in the issue of Saudi Arabia as a country

and many questions are being asked, especially in the aftermaths of September 11. There have

been studies on Saudi in relation to change, modernization, attitudes and reform in education and

the work field. Nonetheless, very few focus solely on the female, whom I believe, is hoisted as a

national symbol, and therefore, their movement, in a country like Saudi Arabia, is very visible

and debatable.

Women’s movement and the call for change should and must be initiated by women

themselves using their voices, because it is them that know their own needs and conditions. So

far, through my research, I have found very few female writers on the issue of Saudi women, and

surprisingly even less Saudi female writers. Who better than a Saudi female, who has lived and

understands the conditions, traditions and needs of that culture, to research and try to find

answers in a hope for movement and change. That being said, I want to make it clear that I am in

no manner belittling the Saudi women’s role, I am simply interested in its movement; one that is

currently taking place and is very visible.

Purpose and Research Question

Having conducted a mini-unofficial study on friends in a previous semester, I thought I

was well prepared for this pilot study. I had my research question, my interviews and surveys all

New Saudi Woman 5

set out. I was ready to go. However, upon meeting my potential participants, interacting with

them, and becoming a part of their classroom, I knew that my previous work only provided me

with a background. Maxwell (2005) states that “every researcher begins with certain goals and a

substantial base of experience and theoretical knowledge” (p.66), and I believe my previous

work did just that.

I began this study with the intention of researching the role of the English language and

technology on the Saudi female, and my research questions were as follows:

- What is the role of English as a second language in Saudi Arabia, specifically for

the Saudi female?

- What are the roles of the Saudi female in Saudi Arabia? And how are they

affected by English media?

- What changes have taken place in Saudi Arabia over the last 10 years? And how

have they influenced the roles of the Saudi females?

However, after pouring through my data and letting go of restrictions that were blindly

guiding me, I decided to employ an emergent focus design and I was able to see the following

research questions materialize:

- What role does knowing English have on the identity and the way Saudi females regard

themselves?

- How does the Saudi woman view her role/identity as a member of the Saudi Arabian

society?

- What are the females’ perspectives on the education in Saudi Arabia?

- In what ways has technology influenced the role(s) and identity of Saudi women?

New Saudi Woman 6

Thus, I believe that my ‘goals’ of researching the role of the English language and

technology on the Saudi female remained in tacked, it was just the research questions that needed

some modification.

Researcher Identity

I am a Saudi female who was born in the United States and lived significant amounts of

my life in both Saudi Arabia and the United Sates. I am bilingual and speak both Arabic and

English fluently, and I am also bi-cultural ‘fitting’ in at both Saudi Arabia and the United States.

I believe that my duality has helped me better myself by being accepted at private/ international

schools, getting a job in what is considered a liberal environment (mixed hospital setting), and

finally continuing my education in the United States. My knowledge of English and Arabic has

helped me shift my roles and create a better environment for myself and hopefully for other.

In particular, I believe that it was my knowledge of English in Saudi Arabia that has lead

to this and I began to question the affect of the English language on the Saudi female. A female

in Saudi has many cultural boundaries and plays a traditional prescribe role; her movement is

harder and slower. I am also beginning to feel a strong connection to Arabic/ Islamic feminism.

The idea that there needs to be a re-interpretation of the Quran and sayings of the prophet from a

female’s perspective are ones I strongly agree with. I believe that looking into Arabic/ Islamic

feminism and the role of the English language can help in creating a balance between what the

Saudi culture wants and the needs of the Saudi females in today’s society. Thus, the cultural lines

are bent but not broken. With that being said I believe my researcher identity allows me to be

reflexive, which was defined by Maxwell as “the fact that the researcher is part of the social

world he or she studies” (Maxwell, 2005, p.82).

New Saudi Woman 7

Literature Review

Women as a National Symbol in Saudi Arabia

Having started in second place, Saudi women have further to go to catch up, but fewer

opportunities to do so (Pharaon, 2004)

In order to truly understand women’s positions in Saudi Arabia, a closer look need to be

made at the political and social event that have taken place in the last eighty years. First and

foremost was the discovery of oil; the wealth that was brought in had a major role in the

changing of the Saudi peoples lifestyles, which affected the whole structure of society. For one

there was an improvement in education for both male and female, it also allowed some to pursue

education abroad and bring back different ideals and values. There was also a clear presence of

foreigners on the Saudi soil who came to work in the oil industry, and whose privileges and

lifestyles had the Saudi people asking for some of the same right. Next, the Shi’a revelation in

Iran strengthened the religious leadership in Saudi Arabia who wanted to avoid the same

religious overthrow. There was also the uprising in Mecca, the first and second golf war and

recently the war between Iraq and the United States, all of which affected women and challenged

the Saudi society. “Saudi Arabia arrived in the 1980s with a more complex society, eager to

enjoy the fruits of advancement on all social and economic levels. At the same time there was a

determination to preserve the country’s religious and social traditions... This balance between the

two has been difficult to maintain, especially with regards to women’s professional space”

(Hamdan, 2005 p.43).

The question remains, why it is women that remain the focus of controversy and

restriction in Saudi society. Doumato (1999) discusses how the keeping of Saudi women

New Saudi Woman 8

economically marginalized is in the government’s interest. First, because “the kind of

conservative gender ideology promoted by the state and the state-funded Council of Senior

‘Ulama’ has broad public appeal, and second, that gender is an indispensable tool for the state in

dealing with political challenges, and a useful one for dealing with persistent economic

problems” (p.569). Islam has become the symbol of identity in the state, and as a by product,

women have been used as the national symbol of this culture. That is because the sex-segregation

and the veiling of women are the only truly visible and easily controlled symbols of control and

conformity. Pharaon (2004) believes that the Saudi women are seen as the “bearers of their

culture’s authenticity and are made to serve as boundary makers” (p.356).

It must be made clear that it is not religion that prescribes these roles to Saudi women, as

there are many other Muslim countries where women do not follow such ‘laws’; it is culture that

draws these boundaries. As Al-Hariri (1987) explains “It is true that Islam laid down a few rules

for regulating the movement, dress and speech of women, but nowhere expressly forbade them to

take part in economic, social or political activities. The fact is that the economic organization of

societies and classes plays a larger part in determining sexual relations… Islam encourages both

men and women to obtain education and to work to have a good life” (p.52).

There is an effort to change this status of women, Saudi Arabian officials began to talk

about the need to integrate women in development, yet will do so under what is called the ‘Arab-

Islamic culture’, due to religious pressures. This has resulted in what Pharaon (2004) calls a

‘schizophrenic approach’ “which both encourages women to join in the process of development

as equal partners and holds them back in their place as secondary actors within family context”

(p. 353). Pharaon believes that this dilemma is very difficult to tackle in Saudi Arabia because

the debate on women is caught up in the debate on religion and national identity.

New Saudi Woman 9

The Education of Women in Saudi Arabia

The influence of the ulama in the educational and social sphere is felt particularly strongly in

respect of women’s education and the role of women in public life (Prokop, 2003, p.78).

Women’s prescribed roles are deeply rooted in the Saudi culture and are taught from a

very young age. Although education is encouraged for both sexes, female education is

fundamentally different than males. With the increase in oil money, Saudi Arabia was able to

accommodate for the increasing demand for girls’ education at all levels. However, this did not

mean the disappearance of traditional attitudes, which are clear in the elementary textbooks for

girls which emphasized that “traditional values in society were upheld... elementary schools

throughout the country reinforce traditional views of the separate roles of men and women...

emphasise a woman’s domestic role... [and] emphasise... the traditional place of women in the

home and warns girls against pursuing the deceptive liberty of foreign women” (Al Rawaf &

Simmons, 1991, p. 291). Thus, it can be said that schools were used to create and maintain the

socially acceptable barriers, “Social reproduction theorists argue that power relations and

domination underlie formal education systems. In this theoretical framework, schools serve to

support existing power relations and to socialize young people to play their class and gender

roles in these relations… Feminist social reproduction theorists in turn argue that schools serve

to preserve patriarchy and dominant gender relations that relegate women to a subordinate role in

society” (Adely, 2004, p.354).

The first international conference for Islamic education was held in Saudi Arabia in 1977,

and the “recommendations insisted that girl’s education should be separated from boy’s and

suggested a special system for girl’s education based on scientific thought, and with

consideration of the nature of women and what society needs from women’s services” (Al-

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Hariri, 1987, p. 53). Thus, the main point of this conference was to take into consideration the

difference between sexes when applying it to teaching courses. As I reflect on this statement I

could not help but think that although it was concluded that there was a need to focus on

teachings that considered ‘the nature of women in society’, there was no clear definition of the

nature of women, what types of teachings were suitable and who gets to define them. If Islam

stressed the importance of education for all in order to better society, shouldn’t the individual

choose how he/she wants to participate in that goal? It always frustrates me to hear that the most

objections to women’s education came from religious figures when it has been made clear many

times over the high value Islam places on education and the important role it plays in developing

society.

Establishing girls’ education under the governance of the religious scholars was an

important step that helped many accept this new development and it encouraged many who were

at first not interested in educating their daughters. Having the explicit intention to educate girls’

in religious and domestic studies, people became very accepting of educating their daughters and

school numbers as well as enrolments increased (Al Rawaf & Simmons, 1991). It became clear

through the foundation of schools for girls that a spur was all that was needed, and that is where I

see Saudi today and its attitude towards women in society –there might be an interest, and all it

needs is a push, and that is why I am currently an advocate for Islamic feminism which calls for

the reinterpretation of the Quran and the sayings of the prophet. Having religion backing up this

‘change’ can make it a much smoother transitions, I believe.

To conclude this section, it may seem that the difficulties facing Saudi women are

unique; however, women all over the world face the same troubles with equality and opportunity.

What sets Saudi women apart is trying to overcome difficulties in “the face of widely held

New Saudi Woman 11

conservative attitudes coupled with the belief that a woman’s natural place is in the home and

aggravated by a number of restrictions placed upon women’s education” (Al Rawaf & Simmons,

1991, p. 294), all of which are influenced more by traditions and not Islam alone. “Restrictions

are curricular in that not all courses open to men are open to them, economic in that less money

is spent on women’s education and the equipping of libraries and laboratories than on men’s,

cultural in the sense that they have to be driven to their institution by a man but must be taught

by a women or by a man through CCTV (close circuit television), and occupational in that only a

limited number of jobs are open to women and that only a small percentage of women are

therefore able to find work” (p. 294).

Language and Culture, They Go Hand in Hand

All languages carry within them a particular worldview and a particular culture (Kim, 2003,

p.156)

Before moving on to discuss the role of English in Saudi Arabia, I wanted to discuss

language and culture, which I believe go hand in hand. When looking at a traditional country like

Saudi Arabia, where culture and religion delegate almost every aspect of the personal and social

life, the impact of a new language and the new culture it inescapably carries with it is a very

important aspect to understand. Kim (2003) states that “knowing a second language allows one

to transcend the cultural borders of one’s own language group and access the views and ideas of

another culture” (p.150), thus a second language , offers a kind of second venue.

Introducing and exposing people to a different culture through language should not be

viewed as a negative aspect of learning a second language (and that is especially true for the

members of the religious groups who might oppose such learnings as western or un-Islamic). As

Elyas (2008) explains “language is a fluid concept can be shaped and reshaped according to its

New Saudi Woman 12

carrier. Learners of English (or any other language for that matter)...have a mind of their own,

and can carry their own hidden agenda in learning a language... language can be at the service of

its users. It shaped, reshaped, and reproduced effectively according to its surroundings and users”

(p. 39).

Thus, a learner can use the new language to understand the world, question it, and use it

to benefit himself and his society. In fact, Elyas continues to explain, “despite the fact that

learners are exposed to a language ‘embodying’ values and ideologies of the West sometimes in

conflict with their own and drawn by coercion or alluring fascination, it can be seen as a

stimulating mind activity, and in turn, an opportunity to look ‘outside the box’ and appreciate

differences between the two cultures. The idea of embracing someone else’s values and

ideologies can be very positive” (p. 39).

Value of English; Why English

The question here raises itself, why English? The English language has such great power

and high statues in almost all the world, and there can be no denying of that fact. In fact, it is an

official language in fifty two countries and is used by the majority of countries as the language of

diplomacy, business and technology. In Saudi Arabia, people are exposed to English in many

different ways as Elyas (2008) explains, “certainly English in Saudi Arabia plays a major role in

their lives starting from work, daily life, and entertainment wise. For instance, there are TV,

Satellite TV, Radio, Video Games, and popular Hip Hop which are taking Saudi youth by storm,

and not to mention English is essential in the domains of science, technology and medicine. In

addition, its importance is reflected in the large numbers of Saudis who study abroad in English-

speaking countries.

However, English also plays a major social role as well. As Mohd-Asraf (2005) explains,

English is “more than being just a language of communication, English, by virtue of its

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influence, has the capacity to empower, just as it has the capacity to divide” (p.103). In her study

on Saudi youth, Yamani (2000) explains the how the English language, in Saudi Arabia in

particular, becomes more than access to education but a symbol of class:

English is... the language of instruction and technical knowledge, and it is crucial for

success in the secular fields of business, commerce, higher education and government.

Therefore, proficiency in spoken and written English becomes a status symbol, a marker

for the ability to obtain private education and to travel abroad, and a sign of a

cosmopolitan life style. (p. 58)

Thus, it is seen that the more proficient in English one is, the more access one had to better

education and lifestyle; i.e. upper class. Elyas echoes this idea by stating that “[English] is

considered sign of status and high privilege for the educated ones and the upper middle class

who send their kids abroad to develop their English skills and locally to private schools where

English is more emphasized there than in public schools” (p.40).

How has Modernization Played a Role

Here, in essence we have a state that continues to be interested in the centralization of Islam and

information, arrayed against a medium- the Internet- which by its very nature is decentralized

(Teitelbaum, 2002, p. 237).

It is true that the technology that has flooded Saudi is mostly the consumer kind,

however, “it is a cultural instrument, a mediation between the individual and the world, a way of

ordering the world. It presents the Saudis with alternative modes or paradigms of perception and

action that challenge their own indigenous, traditional cultural norms” (Elmusa, 1997, p. 346).

However, Saudi Arabia was not culturally prepared for the massive import of technology,

and thus technology was viewed through a traditional cultural lens resulting in a uniquely Saudi

New Saudi Woman 14

view of the encounter of modern technology and its indigenous culture. “The discipline that

industrialization has imparted to people in industrialized countries has not been diffused in Saudi

Arabia” (p. 356) technology was interpreted differently to fit this context. Saudi Arabia is a

country that is both overpowered by technology and trying to adapt to parts of it. It has not gone

through the same experiences and events that many of the industrial countries have gone

through, and yet it has tried to adapt its technologies; herein lies the dilemma.

In his article, Elmusa draws a very clear illustration of the dilemma of modernization in

Saudi Arabia by describing the introduction of the car, clock time and the modern city, all of

which are the simplest form of technology when we think of it today. Yet when we deconstruct

these things we see the true struggle between tradition and technology. The car, for example, is

only driven by males because religious scholars felt it was un-Islamic for women to drive, yet

women rode camels and travelled on their own since the beginning of the Islamic civilization.

Clock time is another interesting aspect; although public life is run by clock time, life itself is

not. For example, prayer time is always run by sun position; meetings never begin without

having coffee and tea. There are a lot of cultural aspects that might clash with technologies

introduced as is to the culture, and as the author explains, the Saudi people did not have the time

nor discipline to understand these new introductions.

Nevertheless, one cannot overlook the impact of modernization and technology on the

Saudi female. Studies show that one of the largest groups of Saudi internet users are women

(Teitelbaum, 2002) and this could be due to the limited role they play in the social culture of

Saudi Arabia. Teitelbaum explains that “the internet seems to play an important and liberating

role for them opening up a new arena for gathering information and socializing. Anonymity in

chat rooms encourages frankness in discussions about issues that might be difficult under normal

New Saudi Woman 15

circumstances. Women use the internet for business, entertainment...not political opposition” (p.

234). Thus, women are finding in the internet, and technology in general, a social space to carve

out for themselves. They are, as explained above, using it within culturally acceptable limits.

Hamdan (2005) adds to this the aspect of education where “technology is helping the education

of women; for those who cannot travel for education like the upper classes, through technology

the world comes to them” (p.56). Therefore, it is clear that Saudi females are using technology to

change their role and move forward, without stepping outside the so called ‘lines’ places by

society.

Methodology

For this pilot study I incorporated a mixed methods design, using a survey, observations

and short face to face interviews. The data was collected over a two month period at an English

language institute in Virginia in the spring of 2010. Ten female participants were survived and

six were interviewed at the above location. I used an emergent technique, which allowed the data

to speak for itself. This gave me the opportunity to examine my methods and questions, learn

more about them through how my participants reacted to them, and gave me the initiative to

work with the data and thus become flexible, and it allowed me to change, learn and grow.

However, I discovered that the true purpose of this pilot study was to set my footing for

my dissertation research, thus the focus shifted more to how the methods worked. Glesne (2006)

states that “researchers enter the pilot study with a different frame of mind from the one they

have when going into a real study. The idea is not to get data per se, but to learn about your

research process, interview questions… and yourself” (p.43). After conducting the pilot study, I

found that not only did I learn about myself as a researcher, but I feel learned a lot about research

from a cultural perspective. I felt that the use of surveys and interviews were more culturally

New Saudi Woman 16

bound than I initially thought, and thus for my dissertation, I will need to spend more time

constructing more culturally acceptable research tools. That being said, I will still use surveys

and interviews, but they will be more culturally appropriate, that is, questions need to be very

clear, there needs to be many follow up and clarifying questions, and the surveys will have to be

done while I wait to collect them.

Participants and Relationships

My role for this pilot study was a very difficult one to play, and one I felt affected my

participants the most. I was collecting data while finishing my internship, which meant that I was

both a teacher, a student, and a researcher. I wanted to be friends with many of my participants

for the sake of my research, but I also had to be a teacher in the classroom. Some students miss

read these two roles and I found myself in many awkward positions. An example that keeps

occurring is that with the students comfort with asking me questions, which I very much

enjoyed, is extended to those same students asking me question on a quiz or in homework. As I

explain to them that I cannot help, they get very upset with me and I worry about how that will

affect my research.

I began to let go of the fear of my classroom role and focused more on my role as a

researcher and a student. By imposing myself into their groups, talking to them outside of class

and asking questions whenever I can; I believe I was able to make a connection. I began to show

them myself as a Saudi and a student, we would discuss many everyday issues including school

work, life in the United States, weekend plans, share personal stories…etc. I found that building

relationships was very important in an ESL setting as many of them are new to the place and

have a lot of issues to deal with, and so I try hard to be available and friendly. Only then was I

able to collect authentic data.

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The participants invited to participate in this study were Saudi females studying at an

English language institute in the spring 2010 semester. They range in ages between 18- 26, have

at least a high school degree, and have studied English as a second language for at least two year

(as per requirement of the institute). They Range in English proficiency from Low- intermediate

to advanced, and we were usually introduced in the classroom. I found that those who meet me

outside of the classroom were not as welling to participate in the interviews but were willing to

finish up the surveys to their leisure and turn it into friends (and only if their friends were with

me in the classrooms).

I also learned from the surveys that my participants all attended private schools, had

educated parents (all the fathers with at least a bachelor’s degree, and mothers with at least a

high school diploma), all come from large families with at least five siblings, all have traveled to

different countries including Egypt, many parts of Europe and Asia and the United States, and

they all use media on a daily basis for at least two hours (including using the internet and

watching television, although very few, three, mentioned printed media).

Participant A. Is a Saudi female, age 21, who began her university studies in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia, in Psychology but dropped out after three years because she did not like the

program and felt it was not taking her anywhere. She moved to the United States in the winter of

2009 after obtaining a government scholarship and plans to continue her study in the same field.

She is currently here with her two sisters and brother. She was a low-intermediate student.

Participant B. Is a Saudi female, age 18, who just graduated from a private high school

in Kubbar, Saudi Arabia. She attended an all girls college in Bahrain for one semester to improve

her English before coming to the United Sates on a Scholarship. She plans to study fashion

design which is not available in Saudi universities or colleges. She is the only female in her

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family and the youngest, she explains to me that that was the reason she had such a hard time

coming to the United States. She was a low- intermediate student.

Participant C. Is a Saudi female, age 26, who was a TA at a University in Jeddah Saudi

Arabia. She graduated from a public high school (which she move to from a private school in her

senior year to get a higher GPA), and studied public administration in university. She is the only

female in her family of four brothers, and is here on a scholarship with one of them. She was an

intermediate student. She used mostly English during the interview and asked for permission to

use Arabic to answer one question concerning choosing education over marriage.

Participant D. Is a Saudi female, age 19, who is a private high school graduate from

Riyadh Saudi Arabia. She informed me that she was the only one of her siblings that went to a

more elite private school and thus she was more ‘mainstream’ English than her sisters

(Participants A and E, both in low-intermediate). She is here with her two sisters and older

brother, and is the youngest of the group; interestingly, she is also the only one who does not

wear the head scarf. She is currently an undecided major. She was a high intermediate student.

Participant E. Is a Saudi female, age 26, who graduated from a university in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia, majoring in Public Administration. She worked for one year in the Tourist Board

in Saudi Arabia before obtaining a scholarship to study in the United States. She plans on

continuing her educations with a Masters in International relations. She is here with her two

younger sisters and brother. She was a low-intermediate student.

Participant F. Is a Saudi female, age 23, married and has a baby girl. She attended a

private high school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She obtained a degree from an online two-year

college in Canada in Interior Design. She plans on continuing her education in Interior Design

New Saudi Woman 19

here in the United States before returning to Saudi Arabia. She was an advanced student and the

only one who used only English in our interview.

Data Collection

For this study, I used a mixed method design employing interviews, surveys and self

discovery. I usually begin by introducing myself to potential participants as a Saudi student at the

University. I used a mix of Arabic and English as I explained my research purpose and goal, then

I went over the consent form (both the Arabic and English version), allowed them to ask

questions, and had them sign the English consent form and keep the Arabic one. Many times,

students would ask for an extra survey to give to friends to ‘help me out’, however, those were

not returned to me. In general, about 25 surveys were passed out, but only 10 were returned.

I found that I struggled a great deal with my data collection due to, what I later grouped

under, cultural reasons. I found that my surveys were not all returned expect by those that saw

me as more than a teacher or a student but a friend. I also learned that my participants wanted to

please me; so many times they asked me how to spell certain words, or if a certain phrase was

grammatically correct; and even though I assured them that they did not have to answer anything

that they did not understand (and I explained to them that that would in fact help me learn), they

made sure they filled out every single blank even if it meant asking for outside help. As I

reflected on this, I found that it may be due to the educational background in Saudi Arabia.

Students are spoon feed and guided to follow a certain road, there is not much room for

independent or critical thought, and thus, do not like to feel on their own. In general, the teaching

methods used revolve heavily on rote learning which creates “passivity, dependence, an a priori

respect for authority and an unquestioning attitude... there is too little emphasis on analytical and

creative thinking” (Prokop, 2003 p. 80)

New Saudi Woman 20

I also found that my interview questions were a little too open-ended in that the students

took them literally and only answered what I asked without elaborating or giving more. Again, I

placed this under cultural reasons, as I believe it is due to the educational background in Saudi

Arabia. As mentioned above, students are spoon feed and thus follow the guide lines and never

go outside the box. I am able to say this with some confidence as I see these traits in myself.

After reflecting on this issue, I found that I too, need to be corrected, I strive for guidance and

correction and feel lost when I first begin an independent project. However, I have learned to

quickly find my footing and I believe it is due to my bilingual/bicultural background.

Also I noticed that the whole idea of consent and confidentiality was foreign to them. On

the surveys, many asked me where they should write their name and when I told them they did

not have to, they assured me that it was ok to use their name. In the interviews when I asked

them to tell me a little bit about themselves, they asked if that meant saying their name. Many

were willing to be interviewed without signing the consent form, and wanted to return both

consent forms to me, even though I explained the process to them before hand. Also during a

follow up interview, the recorder did not work properly so the participant told me to just put

down what I think she said! Again, I place that under the cultural aspect of data collection, where

the students who agreed to participate, did so as my friends and wanted to help out.

Surveys. I used open- ended short survey questions to gather background information

including education, family, travel, hobbies and media use. The survey was really an opportunity

for me to gather information on the demographics of my participants. I wanted to learn more

about their social class and education because I believe that it is the middle to upper class of the

Saudi female society that is facing this change and movement as they have more opportunities to

be exposed to outside material and different types of education.

New Saudi Woman 21

From learning about what type of school they went to, where they have traveled, what

kind of hobbies they enjoy; I can gather information on the mentality of the group, if they are

more open minded, conservative, religious, how much English exposure they have had…etc.

That is because these little details can give great information in a country like Saudi Arabia. For

example, if the student went to a private school instead of a public one, that lets me know that

they were exposed to more English education from an early age; if the student has traveled to

different western countries, that informs me that they have been introduced to different cultures;

if the student enjoys different kinds of media, that can inform me that they may be more open

minded in the sense that media in Saudi Arabia is not easily accessed and thus they had to look

for it to find it (in the form of satellite dishes, expensive internet connection, and generally

censored printed media), and that the more conservative religious people do not introduce such

things into their homes. Thus the survey was generally a way for me to learn about the

background of my participants.

I realized early on that it would not be easy to collect data by passing out my survey to

potential participants and wait for them to return it; I needed to push them to return it. I initially

wanted to survey thirty Saudi females; however I quickly became aware that it was not going to

happen without me as a big part of the picture. I had to be in their space all the time, I began to

seek them out, going to their hang out areas and talking to them, pointing out my phone number

and email on the consent forms, becoming more of a friend than a research and only then did

some return them to me. I understand that that can be due to the cultural aspect of surveys.

Looking back, surveys in Saudi were administered as a test, they were passed out in class, then

the teacher or researcher waited quietly until we finished so that they can collect them, then they

were out of our life.

New Saudi Woman 22

Another concern of mine was if my participants understood the questions on the survey.

Before administering the survey, I had my sister who was a former student at that institute go

over the questions. She pointed out a few questions that were too vague, too wordy or ones she

felt were repeated. It was great to have her opinion, and I wanted the same form my participants.

I explained to them to leave the questions they did not understand blank so I can learn from

them. However, none of the ten participants left blanks, some coming to me for questions, and

many turning to others (I know this because I have seen it take place or have found similar

answers). I am thankful to those that did ask me questions as I know now to work on them to

better my instrument.

Interviews. I used open-ended questions in face to face interviews to allow the

participants to tell their stories. Here I agree with Elsadda (2001) in that personal story telling is

one of the best methods to represent the Arab women, “One way of constructing alternate

representations of Arab women is through focusing on women’s experiences and life narratives

as manifested in autobiographical/biographical writings. … The challenge is to construct

alternate representations of Arab women without falling into the essentialist trap of claiming to

speak for the “real” Arab woman or recovering her “authentic” cultural identity suppressed in

male discourses.” (p. 39) There is a need to tell personal stories to create an identity, and a

stronger need to listen to these women tell their own stories in their voice in order to paint a

proper picture. Through the use of interviews, Yamani (2000) “deliberately set out to give a

voice to the most important but frequently overlooked section of the Saudi Arabia, the youth. It

is hoped that this approach will assist in building a more nuanced understanding of Saudi Arabia

with greater awareness of the everyday concerns and opinions of its young population” (p.150)

and my goal was to echo that of Yamani’s with the focus directed on the Saudi females.

New Saudi Woman 23

I began the interviews by meeting with my participants at their choice of location and

time. It usually took place during their breaks, and they would choose common meeting areas

like lunch rooms or lounges. We would usually be a large group of Saudi females, and we would

sit and chat before we began. I would turn to my participant when I felt she was ready (usually

they would let me know), explain the mechanisms of my recorder and emphasize that they can

answer only what they wanted to and stop me at anytime.

For the purpose of my study I used open ended questions to let my participants tell their

stories using their voices. However, I found that many times my participants gave me very short

literal answers, and I found that I needed to ask many follow up questions that I did not plan for.

My fear here lies in if asking too many questions could be leading or probing. Thus I tried to

eliminate any data I felt was obtained from those types of questions and focused on the natural

stories that the students told.

Each participant was interviewed at least once for a short 20- 30 minutes. Many wanted

to do the interviews in groups, and I found that to be great as it allowed more talk from the

participants who feed off from each other. I tried to keep the interviews casual by making jokes,

sharing personal stories, eating and drinking, and seeming over all relaxed. I also used a mix of

Arabic and English in our conversations, and generally followed the flow of the participants’

code switching. I fell that this allowed the students to tell more of their stories as they felt I will

be able to understand. I am thankful for my bilingual skills as it allowed me to cross any divides

and overcome any problems to get to authentic data.

Observations. My classroom observations, gave me great insight into my participants

day to day life at the English institute. It allowed me an opportunity to get to know them better

New Saudi Woman 24

by understanding what they were going through at the time of the interviews, but most

importantly it allowed me to become a familiar face.

One of the major reasons I decided to include my classroom observations was for the

sake of the emergent theme of technology. Many of the participants used technology

continuously in class to look up words, check grammatical structures, keep in contact with their

friends and family, and they even formed a support group on line. However, none spoke of their

use of technology during the interviews or very much in the survey; they felt that because they

did not use it for pleasure it did not fit my criteria. Many mentioned that they use the internet for

searching, education, and translation, only two mentioned entertainment. However, through my

classroom observations, I learned that the students used instant messaging, text messaging, and

emails to keep in touch, and they continually used the search site ‘Google’ to find information.

Memos. Throughout the process of data collection, I kept a memo, where I would write

reflections and thoughts. This process has helped me work out many of my problems by asking

myself why I did what I did and what affect it had. I found that by immediately writing down my

thoughts and reflecting on them, I was not spending too much time over thinking and over

analyzing why something was said or not. I let it out and allowed myself to rant, thus clearing

my head for analysis and allowed me the opportunity to seek follow up questions if I felt that

needed to be done. It also allowed me the opportunity to analyze my own questions and

interview style and learn from them.

Meetings with professors. I put this here because if it were not for my meetings with

different professors, who helped me out through what I call pilot freak- outs, I would still be

stuck in the beginning phases of data collection. From my meeting with my professors, I got

New Saudi Woman 25

encouragement and comfort which allowed me to break out of my shell. Again the aspect of

culture plays a role here as I need guidance and correction, and I think the best advice I got was

when one professor informed me that “no one will be correcting this”. This allowed me to set

myself free. I was not so scared anymore, and I can see the transformation in my memos where I

moved from questioning everything to analyzing, reflecting and learning.

Analysis and Coding

From my very first meeting with my potential participants, I knew that I needed to focus

my research question to better fit my demographics and reach my goal. Thus I let go of pervious

research question so that they do not restrict my flow and used an emergent model, where the

data spoke for itself. I found this served me better in two ways. First, it allowed me to relax and

focus on the participants’ answers and not on what I thought they would say. It allowed me to

listen to their voices and ask appropriate follow up questions. Second, due to the small number of

participants, it was not very hard to listen to the data and allow it to guide me.

I began my data collection by doing what Maxwell (2005) calls organizational

categories; using the “broad areas or issues that you establish prior to your interviews or

observations, or that could usually be anticipated” (p. 97) as a guide. These were created early

on in my research process, they were what I term ‘goals’ and were used as a means to create the

interview questions. They included: Saudi female roles, education, identity, media, work, and

English. Thus, I based my interview and survey questions on those broad ‘goals’, as well as

keeping them in mind during analysis.

As soon as a survey was returned to me, I began to analyze and highlight what I

believed to be important information. What types of school they attended, where they have

New Saudi Woman 26

traveled, and more importantly why they were learning English. As I collected this, it gave me a

glimpse of what my interview participants would be like, thus better preparing me for our

interviews. The surveys also made apparent the cultural aspect of the study, when very few

participants were willing to participate, and those who did had to ‘please’ me. This also

prepared me for my interviews and my study as a whole by putting this very important aspect,

culture, at the forefront of my thinking and research. It allowed me to change my thinking and

research style and role, to better accommodate for the study. It also gave me the opportunity to

break out of my shell and really get into my study. It made me passionate to find out more.

I begin to transcribe my interviews immediately after they are collected for many

different reasons. First I believe in what Glesne (2006) describes as rudimentary coding

schemes, “you should not keep collecting data for devouring later” (p. 150). I did not want the

data to pile up and become a task, where in a rush I would miss many things. I also have two

young children and thus my time, and sometimes my brain, is not all mine. This also gave me

the opportunity to really listen to what is going on in the interviews, from carefully listening to

the bilingual speech of my participants, where and why they might have chosen to code switch,

what questions they enjoyed or did not (from their voices), to the back talk that is taking place

behind us (as I have mentioned we usually conducted our interviews in groups, and many times

others participated, but where not coded). It also allowed me the chance to examine my

questions, what was answered and what was not, to write follow up question (although not

many agreed to do follow up interviews). As I have mentioned above, this is a pilot study, and it

was a chance for me to sharpen my research skills and ‘test- drive’ my tools, for a lack of better

words, and although not many agreed to follow up questions, their participation was greatly

appreciated and very helpful.

New Saudi Woman 27

As I transcribe the bilingual speech of my participants, I note any information I believe is

important to my research. I kept a highlighter, multi-colored post-its and a note pad close, and

used them excessively throughout my data. As I listened and transcribed I would highlight

different aspects of the participants’ speech, write a note on why I highlighted it and stick it close

to it, and note how they answered the question, and what questions really worked for the sake of

my research and which ones did not so as to eliminate them. As I transcribed the next interview,

I would have the first one in front of me to try and make rudimentary connections, and give those

titles using different colored post-its for different themes, all while continuously listening for my

questions and how they worked and so on with the next interview.

Finally, after transcribing all the interviews, I lay them out in front of me, and made

colorful connections; both literally by the post its and metaphorically because of my excitement.

Looking through the highlighted speech texts and the different themes I had made earlier, many

dominant themes emerged. I was at a point of “identifying essential features and the ways in

which the features interact” (Glesne, 2006, p. 164) and was able to make connections and tie my

study together into one nice package. With that I felt that the process of coding and analysis, for

the purpose of this study, was over, time for the next step.

Quality and Validity

There are many issues of quality and validity that are raised here, due to the small scale

of the study and the limited number of participants and time. I was constantly worried that I was

not doing it right, and as I have mentioned there were many ‘pilot freak- outs’. Again, this is the

cultural aspect of myself, where I needed guidance and needed reassurance, the many meetings

with my professors where helpful, but I also found what Maxwell (2005) said to be an eye

New Saudi Woman 28

opener, “The validity of your results is not guaranteed by following some prescribed procedure”

(p.105). There is no right or wrong, there is no checklist to follow, it is my study, different and

unique.

For my survey, I had my sister who was once a student at that institute and currently

residing in Saudi Arabia, go over the survey question and give me her feedback. She pointed out

a few questions that were not easily understood and helped me rewrite others that were too

wordy or difficult to comprehend as an English language learner. I found that with her help I

found that I was using what Maxwell calls ‘respondent validations’, “systematically soliciting

feedback about your data and conclusions from the people you are studying” (2005, p.111).

I also did this during our interviews by asking clarifying questions, rephrasing what the

participant has said to make sure I understood, and most importantly, giving the participant the

opportunity to speak and express themselves freely. This was done in a number of steps. First, I

tried to schedule our meetings at a time of the participants’ leisure, I also knew their schedules so

I was able to accommodate for that. Also, I tried to create a comfortable environment by

allowing the participants to pick the setting, sitting and chatting with the whole group, allowing

other members of the group to share their thoughts if they wanted to, eating and drinking, and

most importantly I was relaxed, told jokes and shared personal stories. I also let the participant

speak for as long as they wanted and let them carry the conversation in any direction, although

the latter took a lot of restraint from my side.

I believe that asking the ‘right’ questions could also be a validity threat, due to the fact

that I might be attached to my questions. I believe a way to resolve this validity threat was using

a mock study on friends, peer review, and this pilot study to ‘test’ my questions. By conducting

New Saudi Woman 29

first a mock pilot study using peers and this small pilot study, I hope to better understand my role

as a researcher, my theories and most importantly asking good questions. By conducting a mock

study, pilot study and a peer review, my interview and survey questions are looked at from

different angles and I believe better assessed.

I believe that no matter how much planning is done, it is never finalized, and therefore I

did not rigidly weld myself to the research question. By letting the data speak for itself, and

allowing the research questions to emerge from the data, I found that it widened my path on the

road to research. Also by asking open ended questions and allowing the participants to speak

freely and openly, letting them take me where they want to, lead to what Maxwell calls ‘Rich

Data’: “data that are detailed and varied enough that they provide a full and revealing picture of

what is going on” (2005, p.110).

One pressing possible validity threat is my being a ‘native’; I am studying a group of

people like myself. By being a part of the participant criteria in some way, am I blinded by my

insider knowledge? This can lead to issues in participants’ reactivity, interpretation, question

formulation, analysis and bias. It can also be an advantage as I may be able to understand some

things a non-native might not. As Maxwell states it “is important to understand how you are

influencing what the informant says, and how this affects the validity of the inferences you can

draw from the interview” (2005, p. 109). By being aware of my role as a researcher and what

influences I may have on the conduct and conclusions of the study is a task that is part and

partial to my proposal. I believe that I have addressed this through memo writing and reflecting,

the way I dressed (which I made sure was conservative yet modern), the way I presented myself

(focusing on my identity as a Saudi female student), and allowing the participants to express

New Saudi Woman 30

themselves in either language, asking many clarifying and follow up question so as not to leave

room for assumption.

Findings and Discussion

Through my analysis and coding process I was able to make connection and see many

themes emerge. In fact too many themes emerged for the scope of this study and I choose to

focus on three dominant themes that I witness across all data. They were also the most relevant

themes to my interest and purpose. They are as follows:

- The importance of the English as a second language in Saudi Arabia.

- The Saudi women’s role/ identity as a member of the larger society.

- The females perspective on the role of education in Saudi Arabia

And the sub theme of:

- The role of technology and censorship.

This study and data collection has given me an array of emergent themes, but I choose to

focus on the above main themes as I saw them to be the most dominant. I also limited my theme

choices to three due to the limited scope and time allocated for this paper. Other themes also

emerged to a lesser degree like talk about marriage, their work experiences, and life styles, but

most importantly my data included many personal stories that need to be shared in a qualitative

study that illustrate these women’s voices, hopes and accomplishments. They are vital themes

that need to be looked into in more detail and can be used for future research and publications.

The importance/ role of English. One of the most dominant themes is the importance of

English to these females, and the role it plays in their lives. I have chosen to divide this theme

into sub-themes, as that is how the topic divided itself; into neat colourful categories with

different coloured post-its.

New Saudi Woman 31

The English. My first observation about the importance of English came about due to

my frustration while transcribing. Since Arabic and are written in different directions, I had to

hand write my transcriptions since my participants chose to code switch in their speech. The

interesting aspect was that there was usually a dominant language, usually Arabic, with a few

phrases or words said in English. These included the word ‘English’, proper names of things or

places (D.C, T.V, Face Book, and the name of the institute and the name of Universities...etc),

and the repetition of something I said. However, all my participants who chose to speak in

Arabic used the Arabic article ‘el’ which is equivalent to the English definite article ‘the’, thus,

in essence they were saying ‘the English’. This might indicate the dominance of English in their

mind, or the importance of it that it is mentioned as ‘the one’, however, more research needs to

be done on this particular point.

The importance of English. Many participants expressed the importance of English

in their life, whether it was for educational purposes or for life, there is not a shortage of quotes

on the topic of the English language. When asked her opinion on bilingualism, participant A

quickly mentions English, “I mean the most important thing is the English, I feel it is the most

important… because everyone speaks it, because EVERYONE speaks it”. Many acknowledge

this idea whether it was by mentioning that English was the official second language in Saudi

Arabia, which it is not, or by stating that you cannot make progress in Saudi without English, as

Participant B states “you must have a degree (in English), I mean you can’t continue your life

(fulfill) if you don’t have English”.

Many spoke about what English means to them personally. They viewed it as a way to

expose and to better themselves. Participant C furthered this idea by stating that English helps

her personally, “If I want to flourish myself, my personality (I need to learn and speak English)”.

New Saudi Woman 32

Participants D and E also echo this idea by stating that English is not only good for them now but

for their futures:

E: (I am learning English) for my life and for study (laughs) for my life, for my job

D: for myself, for my own self so that I can understand what is going on around me and

not look like an idiot just sitting there

E: For my job to help my children

And participant F discussed why English was important in her marriage choice:

When you want to prove yourself you need to like explore lots of things and English, I

think, is one of those languages that you can connect with lots of foreign people, so I

think it’s the main thing, like he SHOULD know how to speak English and understand.

English and education. Many of my participants mentioned that English is important

to their education. They would discuss the difference between private and public schools in

Saudi Arabia (which will be discussed below in more detail) stating that private schools were

better because they introduced students to English at a younger age. The survey reveals that 50%

of the participants stated ‘education’ as the reason they are attending the English language

institute, with 20% mentioning speaking as the main reason.

Participant E states that English is a tool that will help Saudi females and their education,

“it helps the Saudi women, and I wish they would start it at a young age in all schools not only

private, and also introduce technology at a young age, that will better our education style”.

Participant C goes further by stating that it is a necessity for females to study English,

New Saudi Woman 33

If the girl she couldn’t speak English she will have a lot of troubles or problems in her

study and if she didn’t learn or if she do not learn English before she study in university

she will have troubles… it’s not choice, she didn’t have any choice. It’s necessary.

English as a means of freedom. I label this section as freedom because many of my

participants mentioned travel and independence as a benefit of English. They gave me a sense

that English has empowered them in some way by allowing them to be on their own, and thus I

decided the word freedom fit this feeling rather well. During my interview with Participants A

and B they began to talk about simple things English has allowed them,

A: it allows me to deal (communicate) with many people, I can at least go out by myself,

take a walk if my sisters or brother are not around

B: yah, you can travel by yourself

A: anywhere, I can travel by myself. You get work or something I travel, I must travel by

myself

B: I mean it is something very important

Others discussed the power they feel from English. Participant C discussed why learning

English was important to her,

I mean I can feel more power if I have more languages, if I speak more languages I can

go, I can travel, so that’s making my mind open to the future and I can have a lot of ideas,

new ideas that’s very important

Participants D and E also felt the same way, stating that English can help them ‘prove’

themselves,

New Saudi Woman 34

D: honestly, those who come here to study, their mind is exposed a lot, it’s opened up a

lot, and when she returns to Saudi she can prove herself to everybody.

E: yah with English I can prove to everybody that I am good and will be something and

even those unsupportive people will see that I am very good because I have English to

help me.

Bilingualism. I asked my participants to express their feelings about being a bilingual

in Saudi Arabia, noting that Arabic and English were the two languages I meant, and wanted

their opinion on those who were not. The reactions I got were very strong, indicating that these

participants viewed English as important. Participants A and B said that they found it pitiful and

sad, using the Arabic word ‘haram’ which literally means religiously forbidden but has now

become commonly used as a term to mean really pitiful or shameful,

A: I can’t say ‘haram’, but it is ‘haram’

B: for me I feel those who don’t know (English), I mean its ‘haram’ , I mean I see it as a

great regret that they don’t speak, it’s a big regret for them.

When asked how they felt about those who were fluently bilingual, participants A, D and

E also used a strong Arabic word, ‘gahar’ showing both jealousy and regret,

E: They are very lucky

D: Yah I swear they are lucky

A: Yah I swear for real they are lucky

E: ‘gahar’ (laughs)

New Saudi Woman 35

The Saudi women’s role. This theme is one the snuck up on me, that is because

participants never answered my intentional question of ‘what is the role of a female?’, but there

were very fascinating views scattered across their answers. The family, and more importantly the

role of the female within that family, remains dominant in my participants’ life.

Successful women. When asked to describe ‘a successful Saudi woman’, all my

participants drew a picture of the perfect wife who can balance work and home. It was actually

participant E who said it most eloquently:

I think the successful Saudi women… I think she is the one who can manage everything

like she can manage her house, she can manage her husband and her kids, raise them

really good and even she can have her own space and her own work

This is an echo of Yamani’s (2000) work, who found that “the family unit remains the centre of

the new generation’s world- and the stable basis of identity for all youth, both male and female,

continues to be familial” (p. 92). My participants viewed a successful Saudi woman, and thus

their goals, to be a good mother and wife who also has a job.

Male figures. Another interesting aspect that came out of this study is my participants

need to inform me that they got their fathers approval, some even mention other dominant male

figures in their life as the reason they are here. It is as if they felt validated by these male figures,

as Le Renard (2008) explains, “It is the legal guardian who decides to give or withhold consent

to his daughter’s education [and] work... every initiative a women might take is dependent upon

her legal guardian’s agreement” (p.617). I have concluded that this is to show me that their

family might be more open minded or liberal in their thinking. As Yamani (2000) explains it is

New Saudi Woman 36

the men in Saudi Arabia that “have to decide on their attitude to the position and role of women.

They are still dominant, and they choose either to continue to restrain or to encourage” (p. 102).

Participant B tells me “my mom did not want me to study fashion design… she fells it

will not take me anywhere in Saudi, she does not support my idea but my father supports my

idea”, and A continues “my dad, I swear, always encourages and supports me, a lot, very, very

much, but I never really give him too much attention (laughs)”. Participant E also told me about

the supportive male figures in her life, “my grandfather was very supportive and accepted the

idea because he is open- minded (of us coming here) and so were some of my uncles, they

support very much”.

Role of women. Throughout mu interviews there were scattered information on how

my participants viewed their role as Saudi females. Although this was a question in my interview

none answered it directly, I believe it is because they never thought about it as an independent

aspect, but it is part of a larger cultural atmosphere that they grew up with. It may be hard for

them to separate as an individual idea. This is clear in the discussion between participants D and

E, who when asked what the role of the Saudi woman was, began to argue together,

E: She is the main aspect of the Saudi society, the main (she is cut off by participant D)

D: in the Saudi Society? No I swear she is nothing

E: well she is suppose to be the main aspect, supposed to be

D: yah SUPPOSED to be but not

E: no not in all aspects of society, there are men who support her and there are men who

break her down

New Saudi Woman 37

This is also clear in the discussion between participant A and B who were discussing

Face Book when the conversation turned to the misuse of it by the Saudi youth. Both participant

A and B believe it is up to the girls to keep things ‘straight’ (said in English) meaning in line.

A: I don’t see the problem from the boys, it’s from the girls

B: me too, I see that it is the girl that lets the boys get to her… if she twists and turns with

him, he will twist and turn with her.

What is interesting about the interaction above is that both participants blame the Saudi

female for the misuse of this social site.

Marriage. Many of my participants indicated that marriage was important, and

throughout our discussion I realized that it was a top priority to many. For example when I asked

them how important English was in their marriage decisions after hearing them discuss the

importance of English to them, almost all declared that this had nothing to do with that, plus as

participant B explained “I fell all the young men, it’s important to them to speak English now”,

meaning it is not really something she needs to worry about too much.

However, participant C gave the most honest and heartfelt answer to my question of

marriage and education. She explained to me the difficulty she faced when she chose to continue

her studies and not get married,

Education is very important, education yes is very important and the women she, she

shouldn’t listen to the society sometimes, yah in Saudi Arabia the women should marry

before (laughs) 25 years old at least so I don’t heard them, I just complete my study and

when I became a TA all my family said good for you, you were smart more than us, and

New Saudi Woman 38

you know I am 26 , I am in Saudi Arabia like almost old, I should marry very quickly, no

it’s not my goal.. I need to speak in Arabic (switches to Arabic) my relatives that are

younger than me as soon as they turned 23, it’s like a RED LINE, they must quickly get

married. I didn’t listen to them and when I became a TA they all said I wish we did this

too (laughs).

Saudi women’s education. My original intention was to ask my participants about their

feelings about public and private high school education, and although we discussed this and it

became clear that many preferred private because it introduced them to more English; the topic

turned to many participants frustration with university studies. Many felt that universities in

Saudi for females where not up to par. Whether it was because it did not offer what they wanted

or because it did them no good, many had a lot to say. Participant E, who was the one of two

participants with a bachelor’s degree, had this to say,

My college was a failure, because my field could have been very nice, very entertaining,

but it was a failure in Saudi. First because of the professors, the teachers, the curriculum

they followed, you don’t know what they are, I mean now I don’t know what I can do, I

mean there were things I figured out on my own, I pushed myself, by myself, my

thoughts. But as for benefit from something I learned, not very much... I studied just to

make it by, but I didn’t benefit… But in my private school I was very good, even in

college all the girls from my school were smart, we could think, that school made us

think… they used to make us think

Participant A, who was in a university in Saudi Arabia for three years before she decided

to drop out, echoed this idea,

New Saudi Woman 39

I student at university X for 3 years then I left, and came here to America. I studied for

three years, psychology, but I was not making progress, I mean I hated X very much, I

was never comfortable. I was not comfortable with the students, the teachers, everything,

even the subject itself. I didn’t like the whole situation, I didn’t like the rules, I didn’t like

the college, the college itself, I never felt comfortable… but I will study psychology here

because it is my passion.

This feeling of frustration toward university education for females in Saudi Arabia is one

man of the participants share, and the reason many decided to continue their education here.

Participant C felt, however, that the introduction of English could help as she witnessed this at

the university she worked at as a TA,

actually the plan changed now, now it is good because for just two years they changed

the plan and make all the students learn by English, all the subjects almost by English. I

think it will be a good plan for the future, very good, yes!

Media and technology. The interesting aspect here is that none of my participants

mentioned the use media or technology in either the survey or interviews. However, form my

observations I have come to witness the major role that it plays in daily life, from searching to

connecting with others, technology is always close by. The one issue that the participants did

discuss with me is that of censorship, where all interviewees were supportive of it.

Participants A and E both discuss the need of censorship because they believe people in

Saudi misuse technology. Participant E thinks it is due to a lack in education, “they didn’t use it

properly, not all Saudis used it properly, all Arabs in general did not use the thing good, they use

New Saudi Woman 40

it as a toy or junk and jokes”. Participant A states that “it’s true, Saudis misused it, they used it in

a bad way”.

Saudi Arabia relies heavily on censoring all material that is deemed inappropriate

(including political and religious as well as pornographic material). I believe that the internet has

more advantages than disadvantages, and there needs to be more time and money spent on

education and less on banning of sites because they can easily be bypassed. As Teitelbaum

(2002) states “people need to become aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the internet

and learn responsibility when using it” (p. 231); this is true for the whole world I suppose, but

particularly for Saudi. Self censorship is a right that should be given to the people and many of

my participants agree. Participant C, for example, states that “you don’t need to see everything to

get good things, you don’t need to do that… the important thing if you have open mind”.

Participants A and B discuss that it is up to the individual to benefit from technology,

B: off course those who want good things look for good things

A: yah true, those who want good find it (laughs), good things they can benefit from.

Conclusion

My aim for this pilot study was to show the important role of English to the Saudi female

and how that might affect her status in that society. I wanted to have their stories told using their

voices because I believe it is the best way to bring attention to their needs. I also wanted to bring

attention to the gap in literature on these members of the world, as I have mentioned there are

many who have written about Saudi Arabia, but very few were Saudi and even fewer were Saudi

females.

My study has shown that my Saudi female participants do realize the importance of

English and the impact it has had on their life. They also discuss their role in the Saudi society

New Saudi Woman 41

and the role of education. Technology and media is also discussed even though none talk about it

directly. It is through my observations and interactions with my participants that I have to

witness its use in their daily lives.

This paper is a work in progress, and although it might say conclusion above, I fell I have

not said all that needs to be said due to the small number of participants and the time restraints.

The data has presented me with many topics and themes that need to be further researched. For

example, the use of the Arabic article ‘el’ (the) before the word English is one that needs to be

looked into at greater lengths. The theme of technology is also an important issue that needs

further research, and the females’ perspective on education in Saudi Arabia could have been

further delved into.

All in all, this small scale pilot study has created a strong foundation for my journey

towards dissertation, and I will forever be grateful to my participants and the priceless materials

they have offered me.

New Saudi Woman 42

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5 (6), 349-366.

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Teitelbaum, J. (2002). Dueling for da’wa: State vs. society on the Saudi internet. Middle East

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Royal Institute of International Affairs, London: Chameleon Press.

New Saudi Woman 44

Appendix A

INFORMED CONSENT FORM

RESEARCH PROCEDURES

This study will try to understand the change that is currently taking place in the Saudi woman’s

role and to try to better prepare for it. The focus is on English as a second language and on the

use of English media. I want to learn about the introduction to new information through English,

and how it is understood and used by the Saudi female, and how this new information is applied

to the daily life (education, work and everyday life).

If you agree to participate, you will be asked to complete a short survey (about 20-25 minutes)

and meet for at least two face-to-face interviews of 30 minutes or more each. In case additional

information is needed you will be contacted by the researcher for follow-up interviews.

RISKS and BENEFITS There are no foreseeable risks for participating in this research and no deception will be

employed. There are also no benefits to you as a participant.

CONFIDENTIALITY The data in this study will be confidential. Confidentiality will be maintained by creating a

pseudonym for each participant and through the codification of data. Ones the recordings have been

transcribed and checked, they will be deleted from all records with only the unidentifiable transcriptions

remaining. There will be no identifying markings on the surveys.

PARTICIPATION Your participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw from the study at any time and for any

reason. If you decide not to participate or if you withdraw from the study, there is no penalty or

loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. There are no costs to you or any other party.

CONTACT This research is being conducted by Reema Alsweel, a PhD student at the College of Education

and Human Development at George Mason University, she may be reached at

ralsweel@gmu.edu or (408)580-4200 for questions or to report a research-related problem. This

study is being supervised by Dr. Haley, a professor at George Mason University, who may be

reached at mhaley@gmu.edu or (703) 993-8710.

This project was approved by Human Subjects Review Board. You may contact the George

Mason University Office of Research Subject Protections at 703-993-4121 if you have questions

or comments regarding your rights as a participant in the research.

CONSENT I have read this form and agree to participate in this study.

___I agree to audio taping ___I do not agree to audio taping

New Saudi Woman 45

_____________________________ __________________________

Signature Date of Signature

___________________________________

Printed Name

New Saudi Woman 46

Appendix B

Arabic Consent Form

New Saudi Woman 47

New Saudi Woman 48

Appendix C

Survey Questions

Age_________ Sex___________

What is your highest level of education?

a. High school

b. High diploma

c. Bachlors degree

d. Masters degree

e. PhD

f. Other_________________

What types of schools have you attended? Circle all that apply

a. Private school

b. Public school

c. International school

d. 2- year College

e. 4- year College

f. University

Parents’ education

Mother Father

• Secondary school

• high school,

• bachelors,

• graduate studies,

• Other______________

• Secondary school

• high school,

• bachelors,

• graduate studies,

• Other______________

How many siblings (brothers/ Sisters) do you have?

Male____ Female____

What jobs are currently occupied by your family members? List all

New Saudi Woman 49

Where have you lived for longer than two years?

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

What countries have you visited?

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

What do you like to do in your free time?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

New Saudi Woman 50

How long have you lived in the USA?______________________________________________

How long have you been taking ESL or EFL?_________________________________________

How did you learn about the ELI?

a. heard about it

b. searched for a program,

c. know someone who is in it

d. other____________________________

What do you hope to gain by learning English? What is your goal?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

How often do you use English in your daily life?

- Here in the USA__________________________________________________________

- In Saudi Arabia___________________________________________________________

How many hours of Television do you watch a day?____________________________________

What type of shows do you like to watch?____________________________________________

In what languages do you prefer to watch?___________________________________________

New Saudi Woman 51

How often do you read?_______________________________________________________

What kind of things do you read?

a. Books

b. Newspapers

c. School

d. online

e. other _____________________

In what languages do you do most of your reading?____________________________________

How many hours a day do you spend on the computer?_________________________________

How many computers are available to you?_________________________________________

What websites do you frequently visit?

______________________________________________________________________________

For what purposes?______________________________________________________________

Do you visit or are you a member of any social networks? Face Book Tweeter, blogging…etc?

___________________________________________________________________

New Saudi Woman 52

Appendix D

Interview Guide

NOTE: questions that are crossed out were not used during interviews after learning about the

participants. Questions in red have been removed from the original interview guide after the

study was conducted.

Opening Questions:

- Can you tell me a little about yourself (where you grew up, education, family, activities

or hobbies, travel; favorite TV shows, books, newspapers, magazines, websites…etc)

- How and why did you choose your educational fields? Why did you choose the ELI?

Language:

- What languages do you speak at home? And why? How do you express yourself in let’s

say in an argument or when you’re happy? And why? With your kids?

- How accessible was English to you in Saudi Arabia?

- How important to you was/is language in your marriage choices and why?

- How do you fell about being bilingual in Saudi? In the United States? Do you think it had

any effect on your life?

- How do you fell about people who are bilingual? About people who don’t speak English

in Saudi Arabia?

- Do you think learning a second language is important? For who? And why or why not?

Media:

- How often do you watch TV, read, listen to the radio, use the internet… etc? In what

language? For what reasons?

- How about in Saudi? How accessible, easy is it for you? Do you use any for work,

pleasure, school…etc? And in what language?

- Have any of the topics/ideas we accessed through media helped you form an opinion or

change your mind about something, question things? If so how?

- Do you think all people should have access to media? Why? Focus on censorship instead

Roles/ Future plans:

- What is your role today? What do you think the role of a Woman is? Is there one?

o Mother

o Wife

o Decision maker

o Friend

o Obedient

o Work

o Marriage

- How have religion/ culture play into your role? How about your bilingual lifestyle?

New Saudi Woman 53

- Have there been times you felt your two languages express or as used in ways opposite to

each other? How and why?

- What are your future plans? Why?

- Who helps/ has an input/ is important to you in making choices? Why?

- Do you feel there are/ were any restrictions to you growing up that you would like to see

change? If so how would this change come about?

Friendship, family, education, work and socialization:

- Who, do you believe, has helped you to form ideas opinions beliefs… who has helped

you become you today?

o School

o Family/ husband

o Media

o Friends

o Culture

Needs change

- How important are these people in your life?

- How do you feel about your education? Education in Saudi Arabia?

- How would you describe a successful Saudi female?

What stands out in your life as most important

New Saudi Woman 54

Appendix F

Emergent Themes

Theme 1: The importance of English

1. Used the Arabic ‘el’ in front of English

2. Importance of English

A: I mean the most important

thing is the English, I feel it is

the most important… because

everyone speaks it because

EVERYONE speaks it

A: yah because all fields now,

any work any job you get in

Saudi you must have an English

degree (meaning have studied

English as a second language)

B: you must have a degree, I

mean you can’t continue your

life (fulfill) if you don’t have

English

A: like if you work in banks or

if you work in any area, any

area, companies, anywhere, they

require the English. And now

they require the English and

computer too

C: if the girl she couldn’t speak

English she will have a lot of

troubles or problems in her study

and if she didn’t learn or if she do

not learn English before she study

in university she will have

troubles… it’s not choice, she

didn’t have any choice. It’s

necessary.

C: If I want to flourish myself,

my personality (I need to learn

and speak English)

E: maybe they can get a good

job, but because of their English

they will never get better or

E: (I am learning English) for my

life and for study (laughs) for my

life, for my job

New Saudi Woman 55

higher, when in reality they are

better but they lose a lot of

opportunities because of English.

Then you get someone who can

speak English and gets a better

job even though they are not

better.

D: for myself, for my own self so

that I can understand what is

going on around me and not look

like an idiot just sitting there

E: For my job to help my children

E: it helps the Saudi women,

and I wish they would start it at

a young age in all schools not

only private, and also introduce

technology at a young age, that

will better our education style

D: honestly, those who come

here to study, their mind is

exposed a lot, its opened up a

lot, and when she returns to

Saudi she can prove herself to

everybody

E: yah with English I can prove

to everybody that I am good and

will be something, and even

those unsupportive people will

see that I am very good because

I have English to help me

F: he wanted to prove himself,

like when you want to prove

yourself you need to like explore

lots of things and English I think

is one of those languages that you

can connect with lots of foreign

people, so I think it’s the main

thing, like he SHOULD know

how to speak English and

understand

3. Those who don’t speak English

A: I can’t say ‘haram’, but it is ‘haram’ (an Arabic word meaning religiously forbidden by has become

New Saudi Woman 56

commonly used as a term to mean really pitiful or shameful)

B: for me I feel those who don’t know (English), I mean its ‘haram’ , I mean I see it as a great regret

that they don’t speak, it’s a big regret for them.

A: my mom says she wishes to go back in time so that she can learn English

C: they should do that, they should do that… it is very important… I think she will never have a good

job or anything… it is now necessary.

E: Haram

D: no, Haram

A: no no its very Haram, because it is the second language now

E: maybe they can get a good job, but because of their English they will never get better or higher, when

in reality they are better but they lose a lot of opportunities because of English. Then you get someone

who can speak English and gets a better job even though they are not better.

4. Those who Speak both Arabic and English fluently

E: They are very lucky

D: Yah I swear they are lucky

A: Yah I swear for real they are lucky

E: ‘gahar’ (an Arabic word showing both jealousy and regret)

5. English as the second official language

A: It is the second language, other than Arabic C: yes, English is the second language in Saudi Arabia,

New Saudi Woman 57

it’s the second language you can speak in the

world

They SHOULD know how to speak Arabic and English

in the same level, they SHOULD do that

6. English as Freedom

A: it allows me to deal (communicate) with

many people, I can at least go out by myself,

take a walk if my sisters or brother are not

around

B: you can travel by yourself

A: anywhere, I can travel by myself. You get

work or something I travel, I must travel by

myself

B: I mean it is something very important

C: I mean I can feel more power if I have more

languages, if I speak more languages I can go I can

travel. So that’s making my mind open to the future

and I can have a lot of ideas, new ideas that’s very

important

A:its important when you travel , how can you

deal with people, like me when I first came to

America, it was impossible for me to walk by

myself (laughs), but now I go out by myself for

walks

E: my grandfather is open minded…. He lived here,

he was studying, he studies abroad, he liked to travel

that’s how he was.

F: there is going to be a sense of communication

between each other, so I think it’s really

important to make my daughter realize that this

is important thing to learn

F: he’s going to really need it like if you going to

outside, out of the country to communicate or to

know what you want to do or where you want to go

you need to know how to speak English,

New Saudi Woman 58

Theme 2: The Role of the Family

1. Supportive father

B: my mom did not want me to study fashion design… she fells it will not take me anywhere in

Saudi, she does not support my idea but my father supports my idea

******************************************************************************

A: my dad, I swear, always encourages and supports me, a lot, very very much, but I never really

give him too much attention (laughs)

******************************************************************************

E: my grandfather was very supportive and accepted the idea because he is open minded (of us

coming here) and so were some of my uncles, they support very much.

******************************************************************************

F: my family was very supportive of it (field of study), but they didn’t support that I work in it…

because it’s like you’re going to have to deal with lots of men in this field.. so it was a little bit

hard of an issue with them ,even my husband so… I want to try to convince them that I can do it.

2. Marriage/ Education

C: Education is very important, education yes is very important and the women she, she

shouldn’t listen to the society sometimes, yah in Saudi Arabia the women should marry before

(laughs) 25 years old at least so I don’t heard them, I just complete my study and when I became

a TA all my family said good for you, you were smart more than us, and you know I am 26 , I

am in Saudi Arabia like almost old, I should marry very quickly, no it’s not my goal.. I need to

New Saudi Woman 59

speak in Arabic (switches to Arabic) my relatives that are younger than me as soon as they

turned 23, it’s like a red line, they must quickly get married. I didn’t listen to them and when I

became a TA they all said I wish we did this too (laughs)

3. Female Role

While discussing the misuse of Face Book by the Saudi youth both participant A and B believe it

is up to the girls to keep things ‘straight’ (said in English) meaning in line.

A: I don’t see the problem from the boys, it’s from the girls

B: me too, I see that it is the girl that lets the boys get to her… if she twists and turns with him,

he will twist and turn with her

******************************************************************************

A: Now a day in Saudi, it’s not like before where there were ‘u’gad’ of mixing, and having two

shifts (an Arabic word meaning restrictions and tangles in someone’s way) but it is theses

settings that require the most English.

******************************************************************************

When asked what the role of the female in Saudi Arabia was

E: She is the main aspect of the Saudi society, the main…

D: in the Saudi Society? No I swear she is nothing

E: well she is suppose to be the main aspect, supposed to be

D: yah supposed to be but not

New Saudi Woman 60

E: no not in all aspects of society, there are men who support her and there are men who break

her down

******************************************************************************

F: I think the successful Saudi women… I think she is the one who can manage everything like

she can manage her house, she can manage her husband and her kids, raise them really good and

even she can have her own space and her own work

Theme 3: Education in Saudi Arabia

A: I student at university X for 3 years then I

left, and came here to America. I studied for

three years, psychology, but I was not making

progress, I mean I hated X very much, I was

never comfortable. I was not comfortable with

the students, the teachers, everything, even the

subject itself. I didn’t like the whole situation, I

didn’t like the rules, I didn’t like the college,

the college itself, I never felt comfortable…

but I will study psychology here because it is

my passion

B: they don’t have fashion design as a major in Saudi

Arabia, that’s why I can here, but there is an interest

and what is happening now is that girls are coming

after studying abroad and starting business.

C: actually my first love in science was

(laughs) just a dream, oceans and ocean life…

I liked that because my father was, he still, he

loves the sea and ALWAYS we go weekly in

our boat, I was always swimming. (this field is

not available to females)

C: (talking about the college she worked at as a TA)

actually the plan changed now, now it is good because

for just two years they changed the plan and make all

the students learn by English, all the subjects almost

by English. I think it will be a good plan for the future,

very good, yes!

D: in my school, Y, all our work is in English.

Even when we are on break or something like

that, the girls talk to each other in English , I

E: My college was a failure, because my field could

have been very nice, very entertaining, but it was a

failure in Saudi. First because of the professors, the

New Saudi Woman 61

mean I am so different from my sisters, when

my sisters come to pick me up

A: it’s sickening

D: I speak to my friends in English and to my

sisters in Arabic

teachers, the curriculum they followed, you don’t

know what they are, I mean now I don’t know what I

can do, I mean there were things I figured out on my

own, I pushed myself, by myself, my thoughts. But as

for benefit from something I learned, not very much...

I studied just to make it by, but I didn’t benefit… But

in my private school I was very good, even in college

all the girls from my school were smart, we could

think, that school made us think… they used to make

us think

Theme4: Technology/ Censorship

B:off course those who want good things look for

good things

A: yah true, those who want good find it (laughs)

good things they can benefit from, and those who

want…

When talking about the social group Face Book

A: it’s true, Saudis misused it, they used it in a

bad way.

C: you don’t need to see everything to get good

things, you don’t need to do that… the important

thing if you have open mind, if you have a creative

E: they didn’t use it properly, not all Saudis used

it properly, all Arabs in general did not use the

thing good, they use it as a toy or junk and jokes